My Master Tribute to Sir Dicksee's Romeo and Juliet (cropped). I chose this piece for Ebay watercolor group WNW master challenge with Love and Kisses theme because Romeo and Juliet is the ultimate symbol of love.

Sir Frank Bernard Dicksee was with us from 1853-1928. He was an English painters and illustrator known for portrait art. Much of his work have the qualities of pre-raphaelites in style.

Monday, January 28, 2008

This newest piece is the Spring version of an ACEO I painted in snowy December. I love drawing and painting these scenes because they remind me of home! I'll be listing it on Ebay this week.Original WatercolorJ. Elaine Hays (Lanie)www.happywatercolors.com

Thursday, January 24, 2008

This is a scratchboard I did for a challenge that a group of artists on ebay have every week. The challenge was to use one of our members pictures of her cats to create art. It was very hard to chose one because all of her photos are wonderful but I chose this one.

I've started a new ACEO series to celebrate Chinese New Year. Coming in Feb is the New Year of the Pig.

I've done two ACEO cards so far, very simple yet powerful images that include a Chinese coin, the symbols for pig, one in ink, one in embroidery. I am so enamored with these simple little beauties that I am embarking on a series to portray the entire Chinese zodiac. Stay tuned...

This is a concept piece for a children's book I'm working on. I got caught up in the eBay Raven ACEO ArtCard craze a few weeks ago and while painting this series of ravens, I was inspired to do a children's book. Usually I will do little detailed paintings in order to work out my ideas and in the end sometimes list them on eBay as ACEO's. This time it was the reverse. Regardless, it was fun to do. They say that ACEO's are a great way for many people to buy art at an affordable price. Who knows? Your ACEO might even end up being an original piece by an artist of a published book some day. (smile)

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

This one is a swap card, an ATC from a theme swap on "My Favorite Book." The animal is Utahraptor and one of the pack from "Raptor Red" by Robert Bakker, definitely one of my favorite books.

The swap card I got in return for this arrived yesterday too and took my breath away, it was on The Da Vinci Code and the artist got Leonardo's likeness perfectly, overlaid like a movie poster assemblage with scrolls rendered atmospheric and realistic. I loved it. What a great swap.

My collection is growing by leaps and bounds. Another swap artist did one for me on "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" with Rita Hayworth in the poster... but holding the rock hammer. It was awesome. I loved the novella as much as the movie and read it before I saw it, so that was incredible.

And I got new colored pencils in an art supply swap! The discontinued, rare and wonderful Design Spectracolors mentioned in at least half of my colored pencil books, a set of 60 that's only missing the gold metallic pencil and maybe a yellow-orange -- one color that's very easily mixed with warm yellow and orange. They are a lot like Prismacolors, but a hair softer and very pigment-rich, like all artist grade colored pencils they have their own formula and proprietary colors. This set is very special and I haven't done anything with it yet. I spent the day meditating on it after it came, thinking through exactly what to do for the first piece with them. I'm not sure yet but I know it'll come to me.

This is a card I created of a cute little Devon Rex cat who appears to be playing peek a boo. This card is a scratchboard wich is done using a card that is inked and then scratched using an exactoblade.

This is a cropped version of my latest painting. You can visit my Ebay listings if you'd like to see the whole piece. I do enjoy Bouquereau's figurative paintings as he is so good about capturing a moment which is what I try to do with my art. He had an excellent command of the human proportions though I do suspect he did them a bit stylized as they all look so perfectly attractive.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

I am new to blogging so forgive me if this is a little scattered. My name is Darlene Howell and I have been creating ACEOs for about 3 years now and I love them. This is Theresa she is a cat lady she is listed on ebay for the Nibblefest contest. The contest is to put two animals together to make one.

This is an old historic building in Norcross, Georgia.I called it 'Reflection' because of the reflections in this window, but also reflection as in faith because of the reflected church.Watercolor ACEO 2.5x3.5" Unfortunately the scan isn't great.I love the way you can look into the building and through to the other side and outside through the far window.

I joined NibbleFest Art Contest today, though I found out that I missed the date to post a proper entry for the January theme by a couple of days. January's theme was "Combine two animals into one," and since I was working on a detailed Utahraptor for one of my swap cards, the Tyrannorooster Rex just popped out!

This huge, deadly yet ludicrous creature is definitely one of a kind, the little white hen is fluttering away as fast as she can from this goofy yet dangerous boaster! I loved the colors and put a lot of detail into his pointillist scaly hide, while using my Pitt Artist Pens in brush swoops for his fantastic tail. It tempts me to do a serious rooster Asian style with them sometime.

But I was getting too serious and just had to do something wonderful and silly. It's posted for auction at ACEO NFAC Tyrannorooster on eBay, starting at 99 cents... and whatever the February theme is, I know I'll do these challenges again. It was too much fun doing this one. He has one bid already from a friend, several of whose ACEOs I've bought in the past.

I'm intrigued by fairytales and fables and I like to portray those subject matters in my art. This particular watercolor ACEO was inspired by people's fascination with crows and ravens....something that dates back to ancient times. To check out this original painting please visit HERE

Monday, January 21, 2008

This one one of my very early ACEO's sold on Ebay just after I discovered this delightful genre. I have painted miniatures before selling them at local exhibitions, but ACEO's opened up a whole new world, bringing me into contact with many like minded artists, whose friendship I value. I found that these ACEO miniature works of art made a pleasant diversion from my more usual larger sized and commissioned paintings.

It seems an age ago that I participated in a cross Atlantic exhibition "Hands across the Ocean" in Chicago where I sold more of my ACEO's. The problem I have is painting enough of them, and collectors have recently been seeking prints of my work.

Okay, there it is! I've managed to get it uploaded. Had a little difficulty with uploading my Proud Red-Tailed Hawk but there it is. I often draw or paint birds of prey, and have a passion for raptors in art.

I love doing ACEOs now. I was drifting smaller and smaller in my art anyway because my physical disabilities make it much harder to work on larger pieces, and I love doing something so small that I can get detailed and intense while still finishing it in a reasonable amount of time. I change mediums with almost every ACEO, and especially among different types of colored pencils. Each brand of colored pencils gives me different effects. This hawk was drawn with Derwent Graphitints, a mutant hybrid between watersoluble 8B graphite and watercolor pencils, pencil wash with a hint of color.

Most of my ACEOs are available for sale and easily found by searching on Robs Art at eBay.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

I have a passion for parrots. I love painting and caring for them. Many of my ACEO's are of parrots I know personally. Most are rescued birds from unfit homes.Honey is a Blue and Gold Macaw that came to live with a dear friend. He had been neglected by his former owners and started plucking his feathers. He is well cared for and in a happy and loving enviroment now. Although his feathers will never grow back, he's still a stately bird.This is a watercolor of Honey I painted in January.

I'm busy painting pen & wash (watercolor & ink) ACEOs 2.5x3.5"This will be listed later today. Not long after I started doing ACEOs I did quite a few houses which were very popular, as well as some commissions.I think I'll spend the day doing some and listing. I did this one last night.

Friday, January 18, 2008

This is ONLY for creators of ATC and ACEO art cards.Always 2.5x3.5" - Art Cards, Editions and Originals.Hot sellers in Self-representing artists category on a particular auction site!Do a search on 'ACEO' - you'll find us.Maybe join us - find the community group on the auction site of the same name.Apply to me for an invitation to join, and post your art and stories for others to read.